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Pacific aldermen send proposed noise ordinance back to operations after questions about motorcycles, churches and enforcement
Summary
The Board of Aldermen reviewed first reading of bill 5248, a revision to the city's noise code that tightens muffler-cutout language and broadens enforceable vehicle noise; aldermen asked attorney and police for clearer wording on motorcycles, manufacturer exhausts, churches, generators and county code references and voted to return the draft to the operations committee for further work.
A first reading of bill 5248, an ordinance revising Pacific's noise code to address "unnecessary noise, mufflers, and muffler cutouts," drew extended questions from aldermen before the board voted to send the draft back to the operations committee for more work.
Attorney Jones and Major Locke told aldermen the revised language is intended to help officers enforce noise complaints without requiring specialized equipment such as decibel meters. "The ordinance I presented just makes it the officer's job easier," Jones said, explaining the change is aimed at strengthening testimony in court and covering a wider range of conduct than the older rule.
Aldermen probed several areas of potential overreach. Alderman McKelvey asked whether the section about schools, churches and hospitals would penalize outdoor events such as concerts or performances, prompting clarification that the provision is meant to address sounds that bother those institutions, not routine community events. "Those are sounds near those institutions that bother those institutions, not the other way around," Major Locke said.
Motorcycle and specialty-vehicle owners were a recurring concern. Alderman Lehi and others pressed whether the ordinance would criminalize factory exhaust systems or aftermarket parts. "So it's not making the cutout illegal — it's making having it open," one alderman summarized after the police explanation. Jones and Locke said the change targets use: driving with a cutout open or otherwise operating a vehicle in a way that produces excessive noise.
Aldermen also sought clarity on how the city would incorporate or reference St. Louis County noise-control provisions and on enforcement for portable generators and air-conditioning units. "We're going to need more research," Mayor Felley said; several members suggested adding language to exempt original equipment manufacturer (OEM) exhausts or to narrow the operation-based prohibition so it does not sweep in lawful, manufacturer-designed systems.
After discussion, Alderman Madrigal moved — and Alderman Stewart seconded — a motion to return bill 5248 to the operations committee for rewriting and more research. The motion carried by voice vote.
Next steps: the ordinance will be revised in operations with attention to: (1) explicit protections for manufacturer-original exhaust systems, (2) clarified language about institutional settings and portable equipment, and (3) details about which county code sections, if any, will be incorporated by reference.
